Air ejector for dies



" Feb. 8, 1944.

AIR EJECTOR FOR DIES Filed Aug. 5, 1940 F. B. MEINGER ET AL 2,341,187

Patented Feb. 8, 1944 AIR EJECTOR FOR DIES Francis B. Menger, LancasterTownship, Lancaster County, and Elwood 0.

Lancaster County, Armstrong Cork Company,

Township,

Faber, Manheim Pa., assignors to Lancaster, Pa., a

corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 3, 1940, Serial No.350,280

14 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved ejector for an air die.

The invention particularly is an improvement in the upper shoe or punchshoe for use in the combination disclosed in United States patentapplication of Elwood C. Faber, Serial No. 218,944, filed July 13, 1938,now Patent No. 2,250,450, issued July 29, 1941.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved arrangement forremoving the ejector or top center forming element of the punch.

A further object of the invention resides in providing an improvedejector or top center forming element.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel means forejecting any died articles which tend to stick to the ejector.

A further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of partssuch that wear of the parts of the die is minimized and uniformlydistributed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangementof air channels in the punch shoe and in the ejector or top centerelement to reduce the shock of usually concomitant in the operation ofthe device.

In the drawing, illustrative of the invention.

Figure 1 is an elevational view partially -in section through the punchshoe and one unit of themultiple die unit therein;

Figure 2 is an elevational view partially in section through thepunchshoe and one unit therein at right angles to the view shown inFigure l; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the top con terelement partially insection.

Generally, the invention disclosed. in appli-. cation Serial No. 218,944concerns dies for shaping metal sheets, and particularly such as areused to form ordinary metalv bottle caps. The. die disclosed thereincomprises a lower shoe-containing die units each of which comprises a,central forming element with a draw; ring cushioned by fluid pressure,concentric with the central element, and an upper shoe. containing punchunits each of which comprises a central forming element operated byfluid pressure surrounded by a cutting punch which cooperates. with thedraw ring. In that embodiment, the upper cen.--

tral forming element has means. for electing the cap and both formingelements, are readily re.- movable for replacement within theirrespective surrounding elements, namely the draw, rin or;

the cutting punch. The present inventi n con;-

cerns an improved, form; of PU- whshoe which;

is adapted to cooperate with the die shoe of the prior application.

While the invention may be applied to air dies in general, it ishereinafter described with reference to a specific form of die which maybe used in the formation of ordinary metal bottle caps, as in the priorapplication referred to above.

In the drawing, the body of the punch shoe is indicated generally by thenumeral 2, and this body is backed by the hardened steel press plate 3.The body portion contains a central distributing chamber 4 connectingwith ports 5 leading into the cavities containing the several punchunits. Since the several units are all the same, only one will be hereindescribed. The cavity or bore 6 in the body 2 has an enlarged portion 1-in which the thrust button 8 is held. The lower end of the bore orcavity 6 has an enlarged portion 9 within which the cutting punch l!) isfastened by means of machine screws ll. The ejector or top centerelement It operates within the bore 6. The top center element ismaintained at any particular position by means of the friction betweenits surface and the spring urged ball [.3 which extends partly throughan opening of smaller diameter than the ball in the side wall of thebore in the cutting punch H1. The upper limit of movement of the topcenter I2 is shown in Figure 1 where the top surface contacts the thrustbutton 8 while the lower limit of movement shown in Figure 2 isdetermined by the pin l4 extending through slot to in the top centerelement and being provided with groove [6 at one end adapted tocooperate with the spring urged ball ll. extending through an openingsmaller in diameter than the ball in the cut-1 ting punch.

The arrangement of the pin l4 and the slot l5. enables replacement of'the top center element to. be readily made merely by poking the pin Mout of the holes in the cutting punch. Replacement of top center elementand bottom center element by; another cooperating pair of these elementsenables the same die to be used in making caps having the samedimensions but different top. designs.

The top center element 12 has an annular groove 18 in alignment with theport 5 when t e element is at its upper position preliminary to theejecting of the formed cap as shown in Fig ure 1. Suitable grooves I9are spaced about the, head of the top center extending longitudinallythereoi to thegrooves 20,. forming a. network in the-head. The g fcmvesvl3 areso arranged a outv punch elements then moves upwardly away fromthe lower shoe, the 5 formed cap generally holding fast to the upperpunch elements. At sure fluid, such as air, is introduced in accordancewith the description in the prior applica tion into the chamber port 5and grooves I8 and 4, flowing through the I9 to the space above thisstage, a blast of a presthe top center element therebyforcing the topcenter down, and flowing through the hole 2 I, slot I5, and hole 22 tothe face of the cap. As the top center moves downward, it quickly closesthe port 5, after which the air expands into the space left above thehead with a consequent decrease in pressure. This decrease in pressuretogether with the retardation resulting from the building up of pressurein slot I5 above pin I 4 because of the narrow passage for escaperemaining around the pin results in a minimization of the shock thatwould otherwise occur when the top center strikes the pin I4. During theearlier part of this movement, the pressure in slot I5 below pin I4 andbetween the cap and the top center is less than atmospheric pressure andconsequently the cap is held in place. However, pressure relativelygradually builds up in slot I5 below pin I4 to a pressure aboveatmospheric so that the air issues from hole 22 and th cap is blown off,whereupon the punch is ready for another punching cycle.

The arrangement of pin I4 so that it extends entirely through the topcenter to bearings at each end in the cutting punch III has theadvantage of distributing the pressure uniformly across the diestructure when the top center I2strikes the pin I 4 so that any wear ofthe bore and the parts operating within the bore is minimized anduniformly distributed.

While we have illustrated and described certain specific preferredembodiments of our inven tion, it will be understood that the inventionis not limited to the form shown and described, but may be otherwiseembodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

In an apparatus of the character described, a shoe or a die, said shoehaving a bore therein,

ially in said bore, and means on said member to close the firstmentioned means upon movement of said member.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a shoe of a die, saidshoe having a bore therein, a central forming punch member slidableaxiallyin said bore, means for admitting a pressure fluid into said boreto force said member to move axmeans on said member to close said firstmentioned means upon movement of said member, and means for cushioningsaid cen-- tral member as it approaches the end of its movement.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a shoe of a die, saidshoe having a bore therein, a central forming punch member slidable insaid I a shoe of a die, said shoe having a bore therein,

a central forming punch member slidable in said -'-'bore and having anannular groove separating said member into a head portion and a bodyportion, said head having axial grooves on its periphcry, a slot throughthe body portion, a longitudinal hole extending through said member fromsaid slot to the top of said head, a second punch member concentric withsaid member, and a pin extending through said slot into the sides ofsaid second punch member and means for supplying the first mentionedgroove with a pressure fluid. 5. In an apparatus of the characterdescribed, a shoe of a die, said shoe having a bore therein, a centralforming punch member slidable in said bore and having an annular grooveseparating said member into a head portion and a body pore tion, saidhead having axial grooves on its periphery, a slot through the bodyportion, a longitudinal hole extending through said member from saidslot to the top of said head, a drawing punch member concentric withsaid member, and a pin extending through said slot into the sides ofsaid drawing punch member and means for supplying the first mentionedgroove, with a pressure fluid. 6. In an apparatus of the characterdescribed, a. shoe of a die, said shoe having a bore therein, a centralforming punch member slidable in said bore and having an annular grooveseparating said member into a head portion and a body portion, said headhaving axial grooves on its periphery, a slot through the body portion,a longitudinal hole extending through said member from said slot to thetop of said head, a cutting punch member concentric with said member,and a pin extending through said slot into the sides of said cuttingpunch member and means for supplying the first mentioned groove with apressure fluid.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a shoe of a die, saidshoe having a bore therein, a central forming punch member slidable insaid bore and having an tion, said head having axial riphery, a slotthrough the body portion, a longitudinal hole extending through saidmember from said slot to the-top of said head, a drawing and cuttingpunch member concentric with said member, and a pin extending throughsaid slot into the sides of said drawing and cutting punch member andmeans for supplying the first mentioned groove with a pressure fluid.

8. In an apparatus of the character described,

punch member concentric with said central punch member, and a pinextending through said slot into the sides of said second punch memberand means for supplying the first mentioned groove with a pressurefluid, and a second longitudinal hole extending from said slot to theforming punching face of said central punch member.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, a shoe of a die, saidshoe having a bore therein, a central forming punch member slidable insaid bore and having an annular groove separating said member into ahead portion and a body portion, said head having axial grooves on itsperiphery, a chamber in said shoe, a channel from said chamber to saidbore and having a port adjacent said annular groove and in alignmentwith the ungrooved portion of the periphery of the head, wherebymovement of the punch member axially of the bore causes the closing ofsaid port, a slot through the body portion, a longitudinal holeextending through said punch mem her from said slot to said head, acutting punch member concentric with said central punch member, a pinextending through said slot into the sides of said central punch member,and means for supplying the first mentioned groove with a pressurefluid.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, a punching member havinga bore extending along the direction of operation of said member andhaving two aligned holes extending into opposite portions of said membertransversely of said bore, a forming punch member slidably disposedwithin said bore and having a longituinal slot extending transverselytherethrough in alignment with said holes in said first-mentionedmember, and a pin extending through the slot into said holes whereby theextent of sliding movement of said forming member with respect to saidfirst-mentioned member is limited.

11. A die forming and ejector element adapted for axial movement in abore of a die shoe having means for discharging fluid under pressurethrough a port into said bore and having a pin extending diametricallyacross said bore, said element having a peripheral groove adapted tocommunicate with said port and dividing said element into a head portionand a body portion; axial grooves spaced about said head portion andextending from said peripheral groove to the end face of said headportion whereby fluid under pressure from said port moves said elementaxially in said bore and moves said head portion into position to closesaid port; and a slot ex tending diametrically through said element andadapted to receive said pin.

12. A die forming and ejector element as claimed in claim 11 and havingan axial channel extending through said element and intersecting withsaid slot whereby said pin restricts the rate of flow of fluid from saidport through said element.

13. A die forming and ejector element adapted for axial movement in abore of a die shoe having means for discharging fluid under pressurethrough a port into said bore, said element having an annular peripheralgroove adapted normally to communicate with said port and dividing saidelement into a head portion and a body portion; axial grooves spacedabout said head portion and extending from said peripheral groove to theend face of said head portion; and grooves extending across said endface of said head portion and communicating with said axial grooves fordistributing fluid under pressure across said end face whereby fluidunder pressure from said port moves said element axially in said boreand moves said head portion into position to close said port 14. A dieforming and ejector element adapted for axial movement in a bore of adieshoe having means for discharging fluid under pressure through a portinto said bore, said element having an annular peripheral groove adaptednormally to communicate with said port and dividing said element into ahead portion and a body portion; axial grooves spaced about said headportion and extending from said peripheral groove to the end face ofsaid head portion; grooves extending across said end face of said headportion and communicating with said axial grooves for distributing fluidunder pressure across said end face whereby fluid under pressure fromsaid port moves said element axially in said bore and moves said headportion into position to close said port; and an axial channel extendingthrough said element and communicating with said end face grooveswhereby fluid under pressure from said port flows from said head endface and through said element to the opposite, Work-engaging face ofsaid element.

FRANCIS B. MENGER. ELWOOD C. FABER.

